Sila or Virtue Practices

A Year of Dancing with Life - 52 Teachings from Phillip Moffitt

Sila or Virtue Practices

Week 43

The practice of right speech is built around meeting three conditions simultaneously: Say only what is true and useful and timely. If any one of these criteria isn’t met, then silence is the wise form of speech. Wise action arises out of clear comprehension, meaning you are clear about what is needed, what is appropriate, and what is doable within your limitations. Wise action is behavior that does not cause harm to yourself or others. Wise action acknowledges that you cannot control outcome and that you cannot know the ultimate outcome of any action. Right livelihood means not earning your living in a manner that brings harm to yourself or others and not having a violent attitude in whatever you do for a living. Any job that takes away joy, either your own or others’, also constitutes unwise livelihood, whereas any job that supports and nourishes well-being is wise livelihood.

Dancing with Life, Chapter 20, p. 233-239

For your reflection: There are endless opportunities for you to work with right speech, right action, and right livelihood in your daily life. This week, make a vow not to do one of the following: gossip, give your opinion unless asked, needlessly criticize, or say things about yourself or another that aren’t true. When you are with other people, notice when their actions are unskillful and causing harm. Then ask yourself, in what similar way do you sometimes cause harm with your actions? Finally, notice the attitude with which you are doing your current job. Ask yourself, is your attitude causing you or others harm? Beware of judging yourself.

Phillip Moffitt

At the peak of his career, former CEO and Editor-in-chief of Esquire magazine, Phillip Moffitt, traded in his worldly aspirations to explore the inner life. He subsequently founded the Life Balance Institute and now teaches vipassana meditation with an emphasis on living the dharma in daily life. Phillip is a co-guiding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and the author of Emotional Chaos to Clarity and Dancing with Life.